Collapsible box



Patented July 22,

' UNITED STAT-ES PATENT OFFWE.

EDWARD K. MORRIS, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

GOLLAPSIBLE BOX.

Application filed February 20, 1923. Serial No. 620,170.

4 ments in Collapsible Boxes, of which the fol-' lowing is a specification.

- paper, paste-board and similanmaterial and constructed so as to be collapsible in-v to smallerid compact form when not in use, for convenience in shipment and storage;

The invention has for-its object to provide a box of the kind stated which s collapsible'in a novel and improved manher, and which can be easily unfolded and set up ready for use, and whichis also provided with novel. and improved means for securely holding it in set-up position. The object stated is'attained by means of a combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that the same may be better understood, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, whereinigure 1 is a perspective View of the box set up ready for use;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof; Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line 33 of Flg. 2'; v

Fig. 4 is aperspective view of a fragment of the box showi g the same part y collapsed, and

Figs. 5 and 6 are plan views of blanks employed .in the construction of the box. The preferred embodiment ofthe inven-. tion has been disclosed, but it will be derstood that various changes and modific'a tions may be made without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention .as claimedhereinafter.

Referring specifically to the drawings,

' .the box is shown as hexagonal in shape,

but it will be understood that it may be iven, any other desired shape, and it will fie madeof paper, paste-board oranalogous material. v I 1 j The reference numeral 10 denotes the bottom of-the box, and integral therewith are two diametrically opposite side walls 11 of the box.

The box bottom has a transverse median crease, shownby the dotted line 10 in Fig. 5, so that it maybe foldedl The side walls 11 will be bent upwardly on the dotted lines 11, so as to extend perpendicularly with respect to the box bottom. The walls 11 have end flaps 12 for attachment to the other side walls 13 of the box, and at the junctron of said flaps and walls are creases, the same being shown by the dotted lines 12 in Fig. 5. The blank out of'which the box bottom 10, and the side walls 11 are p fashioned is shown in Fig. 5. This invention relates toboxes made of The side walls 13 are arranged in two diametrically opposite pairs, each pair bemg a single sheet having a transverse crease 13* along which the sheet is bent to 'form the two adjacent side walls. Fig. 6

A similar blank shows this sheet or blank. is provided for the other pair of. walls 13.

In assembling the box, the. two blanks forming the side walls 18 are pastedor otherwise permanently secured to the fla s 12, after the walls 11 are bent to exten perpendicularly with respect to the box bottom 10, the length of the blanks forming the walls 13 being such that they lap the.

flaps 12.

At the bottom of each blank forming the walls 13 are flaps 14 and 15 which lap 1 the under side of the box bottom 10 when the-box is erected. The flap 14 is on one wall '13- and thefiap 15 on theadjacent wall 13. The flap 14 is formed with a tongue 14 and a crease 14", which are for,

a purpose to be presently described. When the walls 3 are erected, the inner ends of the flaps 14 and 15' overlap for a short distanoe, and.these lapping portions are fastened together by staples or other suitable devices 16. In the box bottom 10 are diametrically opposite slits 17 to receive the break the'connection between the box bottom and theside walls of the box. The box bottom 10 may now befoldedupwardly on the crease 10 so that its two halves lie fiat and closel alongside each other between the; fol ed side walls. walls are free from the box bottoni ,when the tongues 14 are withdrawn from the slits 17, said walls canbe folded, so that three adjacent walls areon one side of the folded bottom, and the other three on the other side of said bottom. The .side walls are flexibly connected at the corners of the As the side box by means of the creases 12- and 13*, and the folds are made at said creasesf The flaps 14. and 15 are .also foldable to lie between the folded side walls, the folds being made on the creases 14 It will be noted that in collapsing the box the corners where the bottom flaps let and 15 overlap will, with the box fully collapsed, in some instances slightly crumple, the paper yielding to permit this flat folding.

- The box is provided with a lid or cover 18 which is foldable along a median line 18 so that it now is flat and may be placed inside the box when the latter is folded as hereinbefore described. It will be understood that the depending sides 18 of the lid .a-re foldable inwardly to lie fiat against the" main body portion of the lid.

In order to hold the box securely set-up or unfolded in position for use, a tie device is provided, the same being a tape or string 19. One end of this tie .device passes through a pair of vertically Spaced perforations 20 in one of the side walls 13, and the other'end passes through similar perforations 21 in the diametrically opposite wall 13. Intermediate its ends, the tie device passes across the bottom 10 of the box and through the slits 17. Between the perforations in the walls 13, the tie devie'e is located inside said walls, and as it issues from the bottom perforations it extends across the bottom corner of the box and outside the flaps 14 to the slits 17, between which latter it runs across the inner surface of the box bottom 10. The tie device also extends along the tongues 14 in thedirection of the length thereof. The two ends of the tie device, as they issuefrom the top -per-. forations of the side walls 13, are carried across the top of the lid 18, and upon drawing said ends together and tying the same tion of Fig. 4 which shows a fragment of the box partly unfolded. When the tie device- 19 is drawn tight by pulling on its ends, the folded box bottom 10 is drawn downwardly and unfolded, and at the same time the side walls are spread and properly set up. The movement of the bottom and the side walls of the box, as they unfold as just described, carries the'tongues 14 to the slits 17 and upon. reaching the latter, the tongues pass thereinto. This insertion of the tongues into the slits is automatically effected bythat; portion of the tie device which extends along the tongues and enters the slits, the tightening of the tie device causing the same to push the tongues through the slits.

I claim:

1. A collapsible box comprising side walls which are flexibly connected at the corners of the box, a bottom which is foldable in- -wardly'between the side walls on a median line, a pair of diametrically opposite side walls having tongues at the bottom and the box bottom havin slits into which the tongues are removably insertible, and a tie string threaded at its ends through opposite side walls and passing intermediate its ends over the bottom corners of the box and position and prevent their disengagement 1 from the slits.

2. A collapsible box comprising side walls which are flexibly connected at the corners of the box, a bottom which is foldable inwardly between the side walls on a median line, a pair of diametrically opposite side walls having tongues at the bottom and the box bottom having slits into which the tongues are removably insertible, and a tie string threaded at its ends through opposite side walls and passing intermediate its ends over the bottom corners of the box and across the box bottom, said intermediate portion of the tie-string being also threaded through thexslits of the box bottom, and extending along the tongues on the outside thereof whereby to draw said tongues securely into position and prevent their disengagement from the slits.

3. A. collapsible box comprising side walls which are flexibly connected at, the corners of the box, a bottom which is foldable inwardly between the side walls on a median line, opposite side walls of the box having inwardly and transversely foldable flaps lapping the box bottom on the outside there of and provided with tongues, the box bottom having slits into which the tongues are removably insertible, and a tie-string threaded at its ends through the aforesaid opposite side walls and passing intermediate its ends over the bottom corners of the box and across the boxbottom, said intermediate portion of the tie-string being also'threaded through the slits of the box bottom, said tie string further extending longitudinally over the tongues on the outside thereof whereby to draw said tongues securely into position and prevent their disengagement from the slits.

4. A collapsible box comprising side walls which are flexibly connected at the corners of the box, a bottom which isfoldable inwardly between the side walls onfa median line, opposite side walls of the box having inwardly and transversely foldable flaps lappi'ngthe box bottom on the outside thereof and provided with tongues, the box bottom having slits into which the tongues are removably insertible, and a tie-string threaded at its ends through the aforesaid opposite side walls and passing intermediate its ends over the bottom corners of the box and across the box bottom, said intermediate portion of the tie-string being also threaded through the slits of the box bottom, and extending across the flaps and along the tongues on the outside thereof said tie string further extending longitudinally over the tongues on the outside thereof whereby to draw said tongues securely into position alnd prevent their disengagement froin the 5 its.

5. A collapsible box body formed of three blanks, one of which has a body portion of regular hexagonal form constituting the bottom of the box, said blank having a fold crease extending between opposite angles and being provided on the sides parallel to the fold crease with rectangular side forminoportions, the remaining blanks forming a ike pair and each having a pair of rectangular side forming portions defined from each other by a fold line, each of said side forming portions being attached to a respective side forming portion of the first blank and provided with a bottom flap foldable under the body of the first blank, the bottom flaps of each of said pair having their adjacent portions overlapping and'provided with afold crease constituting an extension, when the blanks are assembled, of the fold line between the two side forming portions of the respective blank.

6. A collapsible box body consisting of a hexagonal bottom portion having a fold crease extending between opposite corners and six side walls foldably connected each to each, two opposite side walls bein foldably connected to' the edges of the %ottom parallel to the crease line and the remaining side walls being free from said bottom and arranged in palrs between the first two side walls, the side walls of each pair each having a bottom flap, the bottom flaps of lapping and connected and one of each pair of bottom flaps being creased to told with the respective pair of said walls, the end fiaps being defined from each other by a slit whereby to permit such overlapping.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EDWARD K. MORRIS.

-each pair having their adjacent ends over- 

